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The Biggest Myth in Email Marketing
Max Sturtevant
April 09, 2024
The Inbox Newsletter
Hello squad.
Welcome to The Inbox Newsletter…
Today we’re talking about:
The biggest myth in email marketing - why it exists and why it’s BS
An email example with a banger angle
An interesting test result proving that you MUST test different styles of emails
Let’s dive in.
The Biggest Myth in Email Marketing
I was asked about this topic the other day and it’s pretty insane how big of a misconception it is.
It’s the idea that you need HTML sections weaved in your emails.
If you don’t know what I mean by HTML sections, they are essentially just the native Klaviyo text or blocks.
So rather than just uploading images of text as your emails, HTML sections are made purely in Klaviyo.
This notion is just completely false.
Why Does This Myth Exist?
Everybody will say that HTML sections will help your deliverability because including only images in your emails will look “spammy”.
Most people who say this have never actually tested it (I have, there’s no difference if you do it right)
But that statement does have some merit. It’s true.
If you only attach massive image files in your emails and have absolutely zero HTML then you could end up with a higher spam folder rate.
But there’s a simple way to overcome it, which we’ll talk about shortly
Why This Myth Is Harmful
Interweaving images with HTML sections brings a ton of issues.
For one, HTML sections will get altered at a very high frequency by inbox providers.
Light vs Dark mode on iPhone for example.
Some people have light mode on their device and some have dark mode.
Based on what a user has, your HTML sections will be altered and unreadable at times.
I see it way too often, dark blue text in an HTML section whose background gets turned black because of dark mode… then you’re completely unable to read the message.
Also, your sizing will get all messed up based on a user’s settings.
Old folk with bad eyesight often have phone settings that enlarge text for them.
This will completely throw off the proportions and spacing of your HTML sections.
It’s very difficult to work around these issues and doing it adds way too much complexity to your processes.
More complexity leads to a higher probability of error.
How To Overcome This Partially True Myth
As we discussed, this myth does have some merit.
If you only use massive image files in your email you could look spammy.
But an easy way to overcome this is just by having HTML in the footer of your email.
Use native text to give your company location, list out some features of the brand, and your unsubscribe section.
This alone can be enough HTML to bring you out of “spammy” territory.
An extra bonus is to add “invisible text” to your footer.
Use a black background with size 2 black text with 500+ words from the website copy and pasted.
This will be a tiny little sliver in your email that isn’t readable, but has a ton of HTML data from an inbox provider’s POV.
It’s an easy way to ensure you have enough HTML and land in the inbox.
As far as the rest of your email, design on Figma and just upload images!
Email Inspiration Of The Day
Brand:
Auri
Notes:
What an awesome idea for an email… a pop-quiz!
Hearing pop-quiz gives me bad memories but in this case, it’s fun.
AND the questions in this email are all outlining benefits of the products the company sells.
Great example of “disguised selling”.
You are earning trust points with your list by sending them an engaging email that isn’t hard selling them… but you’re still selling them in a subtle way.
Great concept and email we can all learn from.
A/B Test Result of The Day
Variation A (top):
Welcome email #1 with a long bridge section about the brand
Variation B (bottom):
Welcome email #1 with a quick and punchy bridge section about the brand
Insights:
In most cases, quick and punchy emails and copy are going to be the best play.
However, in Welcome Email #1 this test is showing that people like to have a bit more info about the brand before buying.
The section in Variation A was about twice as long as the other and gave more information on the preparation of the products before arriving at the customers’ doorstep.
Different email situations require different email styles
Always test your text length in different places!
Helpful Links Of The Day
Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.
Cheers,
Max
PS - If you’re an ecom brand doing over $50k per month interested in working with my full stack email marketing agency, book a call here.